Military leaders in the United States and China should make a greater effort at constructive dialogue, Vice President Joe Biden told students at the Sichuan University in Chengdu, during his four-day visit to China. “China and the United States face many of the same threats and share many of the same objectives and responsibilities,” said Biden. However, he acknowledged they often view them in very different ways. “That is why we’ve been working with China and our international partners to maintain peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and to achieve a complete denuclearization of North Korea” he explained. Biden cited US and Chinese military exchanges earlier this year as positive steps. Through its military, the US has done more than any other country over the last half-century “to ensure the stability and security of the Asian-Pacific region,” Biden told the students. (DOD report by Karen Parrish)
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.